This invention relates in general to apparatus for displaying an art work and in particular, to displaying an art work in a manner such that both the front and back of the work can be observed without removing the work from the apparatus.
This invention is particularly well adapted for the display of phonograph album covers. Phonograph albums are typically manufactured in the form of a vinyl disc. While these albums are rapidly being replaced by compact discs and tape cassettes, they often are decorated with art work suitable for display as a decorative item in a home or business. Such albums are also the subject of serious collections, both for the music on the discs but also for the art work of the cover independent of the music.
Prior art apparatus for displaying such album covers have provided a frame having a slot into which the album is inserted. Such devices usually obscure the back of the cover which often contains art as important as the front. In addition, these frames often obscure the edges of the cover as part of the cover retaining means. Other devices in the prior art provide a box-like structure into which the cover can be inserted. However, these devices usually contain a complex closing mechanism which makes them relatively expensive to manufacture. In yet other display devices, the art work is simply pressed between two plates and the art work is held in the frame by the friction between the art work and the front and rear plates. In the case of vinyl albums, it is not desirable to apply such pressure on the vinyl disc since this can damage the disc and severely affect the sound produced when the album is played.